


after the war au

by anothersadsong



Series: snippets [11]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: After the War AU, F/M, Sleepy Cuddling, and introspection, jyn and cassian and tiny baby essa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 19:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17028696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anothersadsong/pseuds/anothersadsong





	after the war au

Jyn grumbled at the sunlight shining relentlessly through the window into her eyes, tossing and turning from side to side in a futile effort to get back to sleep. She didn’t get to sleep in very often, not with an exceptionally angry infant who needed feeding every few hours on the dot, but she didn’t much mind the sleeplessness.

There were worse reasons for sleep deprivation - being imprisoned, for one, and constantly having to keep one eye open, just in case. But Essa would never have to experience that, Jyn hoped, now that there was a tenuous peace within a galaxy freed from the tyranny of the Empire’s rule.

Essa would never have to make the tough decisions that her parents had - she would never have to do the terrible things that she and Cassian had, not only in service of the cause, but also just to survive.

Never, Jyn vowed, never, ever.

Quietly, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed through the little home that she and Cassian and Essa called their own, far far away from the madness of the biggest, most bustling cities, searching for her little family. Essa’s nursery was messy, which suggest a late night or early morning changing, and no real time to clean up, what, with a fussy baby needing calming, and the reassurance that yes, this was a big scary world, but have no fear, little one, Mama and Papa have got you, Mama and Papa will always keep you safe.

To be honest, Jyn hadn’t thought that she was the least bit equipped emotionally to handle being a mother, but the first time that she saw a grainy rendering of the child that she was carrying, she knew that despite any fear that she was feeling, any worry that was gnawing at her, she would do the best that she could for her child, and she would die before allowing her to face the same horrors and hardships that Jyn herself had.

Cassian promised the same things, too, in the quiet moments when they curled up in their bunk together, his fingers gentle as he traced the soft swell of her belly and spoke to their daughter in even softer tones, the rise and fall of his voice as he spoke in his native Festian more than enough to lull Jyn into a relaxation she had so rarely ever felt before. It was the only thing he could give their daughter from his home planet, and he was adamant upon sharing it with her.

Wherever they landed, wherever they settled, they would make the happiest home they could. Their daughter deserved it. And didn’t they deserve it, too, after a lifetime of loss?

Kay, in his new chassis, took it upon himself to watch over Jyn and ensure that she did not ‘endanger the health and safety of Cassian’s progeny’, although she silently thought that maybe he cared about her just a little, too, even though she knew the droid would never admit it.

And although these days, he was more likely to be found as Bodhi’s co-pilot, when they found the time to visit, they brought presents from honorary god-parents Chirrut and Baze, and Bodhi regaled the wide-eyed infant with stories about flying and the promise that one day he’d teach her how, to the horror of her parents.

Jyn would never tell that she’d caught Kay not spouting off the statistical probability of crashes or accidents, instead allowing the curious Essa to touch and curl her little hand around one long, durasteel finger, making the promise that as Cassian’s only progeny, it was his duty to always keep her safe. That was what families did, after all, watched over each other.

This must be what having a family felt like, she thought then, and she thought again, finally finding her snoozing husband and daughter, who had taken over the entirety of the couch, Cassian holding Essa tightly to his chest, the baby snuffling angrily, as though she was displeased with whatever she was dreaming about.

Slowly, Jyn stepped closer, gentle as she reached out and tried to smooth the knot from between Essa’s eyes, very like her father when he was concentrating or as displeased as his daughter was while she slept. But the baby sighed at the touch of her mother’s hand, and drooled a little onto Cassian’s shirt, and Jyn barely held back a soft chuckle, instead bending down to press a kiss to Essa’s little forehead, the smell of her daughter so perfect and so reassuring all at once.

And then, for good measure, she brushed Cassian’s hair out of his face and kisses his forehead, too, smiling as he mumbled something in his sleep, although she didn’t disturb them any more than necessary.

He’d let her sleep in. The least she could do was quietly fix some breakfast for when he eventually woke up. She wasn’t the best cook, but she was learning. Just as she was learning how to be a wife, and a mother, and to live a life without the threat of war hanging over her head anymore. She was learning. They all were. It wasn’t always perfect, and it wasn’t without it’s own particular frustrations and worries, but it was theirs.

And everything that had brought them here -

Well. In the end, it was all worth it to have a happy, healthy, thriving family.

Yeah.

Worth it.


End file.
